Here we show you how to bypass this error and install Windows 11 on your VMware Workstation Player, Pro, and Fusion.
What Causes the “This PC Can’t Run Windows 11” Error on VMware Workstation?
To install Windows 11, your PC must meet the TPM 2.0 and secure boot requirements. However, even if you have a compatible PC, VMware Workstation Player doesn’t support this feature by default, resulting in an error.
Fortunately, you can bypass this restriction by modifying the Windows registry or the VMX file in the working directory. If you use VMware Workstation Pro, you can encrypt your virtual machine and add VTPM (Virtual Trusted Platform Module).
Below we have listed all the three ways that you can use to fix This PC can’t run Windows 11 error on VMware Workstation Pro, Fusion, and Player.
Note that this troubleshooting guide applies to VMware Workstation-based virtual machines only. If you troubleshoot this error on a physical system, refer to our guide on how to fix “this PC can’t run Windows 11” error instead.
1. How to Enable TPM 2.0 on a Virtual Machine (VMware Workstation Pro)
If you use VMware Workstation Pro, you can encrypt your virtual machine and then add a virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to fix the error.
If you use VMware Workstation Player, skip to the next method involving a registry hack and vmx file modification.
To encrypt and add TPM to your virtual machine:
Launch VMware Workstation Pro. Create a new virtual machine if you don’t have one already. Then, select and right-click on your virtual machine and choose Settings. In the Settings window, open the Options tab. In the left pane, select the Access Control tab. In the right pane, click on the Encrypt button. Enter an encryption password and repeat it to confirm. Save the encryption password in a safe location as you need it to access the virtual machine. Click the Encrypt button and wait for the encryption process to complete. Once done, click OK to save the changes. Now you can add TPM to your virtual machine. To do this, right-click on your encrypted virtual machine and select Settings. In the Hardware tab, click the Add button. Select Trusted Platform Module in the Hardware Type window. Click the Finish button to add virtual TPM to your virtual machine. In the Settings window, Trusted Platform Module will show Present in the Summary column. Click OK to save the changes.
Now you can go ahead and install Windows 11 on VMware Workstation Pro without the system requirement error.
2. Edit the VMX File to Add VTPM in VMware Workstation
The easiest way to fix the PC can’t run Windows 11 error is to edit your virtual machine’s vmx file and add the VTPM (Virtual Trusted Platform Module). This method works on all the versions of VMware Workstation, including Pro, Player and Fusion.
To use the software feature by editing the vmx file:
Launch VMware Workstation. Create a new virtual amchine if you don’t have one already. Also, power off any running virtual machine. Right-click on your virtual machine and select Settings. Open the Options tab in the Settings window. In the right pane, locate Working directory. This is where the vmx file for your virtual machine is located. So, copy the working directory path to your clipboard. Click OK to close the Settings window. Press Win + E to open File Explorer and navigate to the working directory path. The path may vary depending on where you have chosen to install the virtual machine. The default working directory path looks something like this C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Virtual Machines\Windows 10 and later x64 In the Windows 10 and later x64 folder, locate the Windows 10 and later x64. vmx file. Right-click on the . vmx file, select Open With > Notepad. You can also use other text editors such as Notepad++. When the file opens in Notepad, add the following line in the end: managedVM. autoAddVTPM = “software” Press Ctrl + S to save the file and close Notepad. Once the file is modified, restart VMware Workstation, Fusion, or Player. After restart, power on your virtual machine and continue with the Windows 11 setup. You should be able to bypass the TPM check and complete the setup.
3. Modify Registry Entry to Bypass TPM Check in VMware Workstation
Another way to fix this error is to modify and add new entries to the Windows registry. It will help you to bypass the minimum system requirement-related error on VMware Workstation.
This method involves editing and adding a registry entry when the system requirement message appears on your screen. Here’s how to do it.
Set up your virtual machine and proceed to install Windows 11. When installing Windows 11 in VMware Workstation, you will see the This PC can’t run Windows 11 error blocking the Windows setup due to missing system requirement. When the above error message appears, press Shift + F10 on your keyboard to launch the Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter to launch Registry Editor: regedit In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup Right-click on the Setup key and select New > Key. Rename the key as BypassTPMCheck. Right-click on the BypassTPMCheck key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value. Rename the new DWORD value as LabConfig. Right-click on LabConfig value and select Modify. Type 1 in the Value data field and click OK to save the changes. Once done, close the Registry Editor. Type exit and press Enter to close the Command Prompt. Now you will be back in the Windows Setup window with this PC can’t run error. Click the Back button (back arrow icon) in the top left corner. Select the Windows edition you want to install and click Next. Now you should be able to continue with the Windows 11 setup without the error.
Bypassing TPM 2.0 Requirement to Install Windows 11 on VMware Workstation
If you use VMware Workstation Pro, you can easily bypass the TPM 2.0 system requirement through virtual machine encryption and adding a Trusted Platform Module.
However, if you don’t want to encrypt your virtual machine or use Workstation Player, you can use the registry hack or modify the vmx file to bypass the Trusted Platform Module requirement.
